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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27670433">For Want of a Second Year</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelenaDuo/pseuds/RelenaDuo'>RelenaDuo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yo dawg [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Murder by Basilisk, Attempt at Humor, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Gen, Harry Potter Has a Twin, Harry Potter is a Horcrux, House Elves, Humor, I'm just playing around with tropes, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2020, No beta we die like mne, Obscurial Harry Potter, Obscurials (Harry Potter), Obscurus (Harry Potter), S.P.E.W., Slytherin Harry Potter, The Potters Live, Trope Subversion/Inversion, Tropes, Wrong Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:28:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,195</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27670433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelenaDuo/pseuds/RelenaDuo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow Harry in his slow development into a magical creature activist. Free those House Elves dammit! What's this? There's a Basilisk in dire need of freedom somewhere in the Chamber of secrets? Well, what are we waiting for!</p>
<p>Sequel of my story For Want of a Nail, the main gist being that Harry can speak with Voldemort and his obscurus, Spot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>not yet - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yo dawg [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>333</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Going with the "For Want of a [blank]" since I still have no better ideas.<br/>Second year won't be as long as the first year was, neither will third year, but fourth year is shaping up to be pretty long.<br/>Also, I feel like this chapter can come off as a bit sad. Just know that I do my best to bring it back up in the next one.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry sat on the fence of the petting farm they were currently at watching James chase after Jimmy, who in turn was being chased by a goat.</p><p>‘That boy is not going to reach adulthood’, commented Voldemort idly.</p><p>‘Hmm’, Harry hummed as he watched Jimmy scream in terror when the goat started to gain on him.</p><p>It was their birthday the next day and since James had organized a party for the special day itself he’d decided to take the twins out for some ‘bonding’ a day before.</p><p>Jimmy had just gotten over his fear of random shadows a little over a week before, so obviously James thought that the best place to take them to would be a petting farm. Harry would have protested, what with Jimmy’s skin still being sensitive after he had to walk through fire in one of the obstacles to stop Quirrel, but Lily had brightened up at the idea and immediately kicked them out of the house.</p><p>Thinking about Quirrel made Harry frown. He was still pretty upset that thanks to Quirrel needing to be stopped Gryffindor had won the House Cup. Draco had been desolate by the end of the Year End Feast and nothing Harry or any of the other boys did would cheer him up afterwards.</p><p>Once Harry got to the Potter residence he’d owled him with Jimmy’s owl and was still getting a steady stream of replies so Harry was pretty sure he was over it by now.</p><p>“I’m coming for you son!”, James shouted when Jimmy finally tripped and fell.</p><p>Several of the staff members also came running, finally noticing one of their goats was about to kill a child.</p><p>‘Goats don’t kill children Harry.’</p><p>‘I guess’, mused Harry when he saw one of the staff offer a carrot to the goat, who immediately calmed down upon eating it.</p><p>When they arrived at home Lily was passed out on the couch, hugging her martini glass and mumbling about olives.</p><p>The next day Harry skipped down the stairs, excited despite himself for his first proper birthday party since he’d moved in with the Potters. The previous year they’d stayed at home and eaten a small cake while opening presents that mostly consisted of clothes and a couple soft toys.</p><p>Even if they felt like a lame present Harry still really liked his moving owl plushie.</p><p>“Morning Milly”, Harry greeted his cat as she ate her breakfast at her bowl in the kitchen.</p><p>“Happy Birthday!”, exclaimed James as soon as he saw Harry and proceeded to hug him tightly. Lily did something similar, but only one armed since she was holding her martini.</p><p>“This is gonna be a great day! Mark my words!”, enthused James.</p><p>By lunch the whole Weasley family was there along with Seamus and his mom. Dean had called twice from a gas station to ask directions and Hermione had promised she’d be there by 1 p.m.</p><p>“Where’s Draco though?”, asked Ron as soon as Harry recounted where Dean and Hermione were.</p><p>“I wonder the same”, said Harry, “I’d floo him, but I don’t know at which house he's currently at. He said he’s normally at his manor, but he also bragged a lot about all his familiy’s summer houses, so I’m really confused.”</p><p>“Maybe he’s still combing his hair”, sniggered Seamus.</p><p>“Maybe he’s just running a bit late”, proposed Jimmy in a soft tone.</p><p>Just then the fireplace blazed green and for one second Harry felt relief, but then an old lady with a dead vulture for a hat stepped though along with Neville and two other adults.</p><p>“Hey guys!”, Neville greeted happily as he bounded over.</p><p>“Hey Nev”, Harry greeted, not feeling too happy. He kinda wanted to go ask James if he’d remembered to send Draco his invitation, but he was currently greeting the Longbottom family.</p><p>“But if it isn’t young James, look at you!”, said the woman with the dead vulture on her head.</p><p>Jimmy gave a weak whimper and shrunk back.</p><p>Then the doorbell rang and they all moved to the yard when it was revealed to be Hermione and her parents.</p><p>All the children migrated to the Quidditch pitch since there was more free space there and they still expected to have many other guests.</p><p>“Where’s Draco?”, asked Hermione when she looked around, “And Blaise and Theo and Pansy and – everybody?”</p><p>Harry didn’t answer her. He only looked towards the house where James was entertaining everybody.</p><p>‘Oh dear. You don’t think-‘</p><p>“I think I need to go ask something”, said Harry and didn’t bother to see if anybody followed him when he entered the house and made a bee line for James.</p><p>“Did you remember to send invitations to Draco and all my friends from Slytherin?”</p><p>James blinked at him and then laughed, “But Harry, those are not your friends, they’re Slytherins!”</p><p>Harry heard somebody gasp as he stared at James. He turned around and without looking at anybody he went up the stairs to his room and locked himself in.</p><p>Spot was viciously growling.</p><p>Harry didn’t feel like calming him down at the moment.</p><p>‘Harry.’</p><p>“What”, Harry snapped and moved to sit in the corner of his room, at the side of his desk.</p><p>Voldemort sighed, ‘Just breath.’</p><p>So that’s what Harry did.</p><p>It helped somewhat.</p><p>The next day when Harry went down to have breakfast he made sure to hide the two plushies Spot had shredded and took a couple Muggle cents he had stashed away and pocketed them.</p><p>James wasn’t at the breakfast table. Lily slurred something about him getting called to work and continued on with her martini.</p><p>“I’m going to the Muggle village”, said Harry as he stood up after finishing his toast.</p><p>Jimmy perked up, “Can I, um, can I come along?”</p><p>Harry shrugged, “Sure.”</p><p>They walked till they reached a public phone where Harry called the orphanage and chatted with his old friends for a while. He also got Nick to send him something through mail.</p><p>When he was done he joined Jimmy who had been patiently waiting for him a few meters away and they proceed to walk around aimlessly for a few hours.</p><p>“I’m sorry for what happened”, said Jimmy after a while.</p><p>“S’not your fault.”</p><p>“Mom got really angry at him. As did a lot of the other parents”, Jimmy added, “Mrs. Weasley invited us to come along with them and the Grangers to Diagon Alley later this week. They didn’t invite Dad, though Mom said she wouldn’t be able to make it, but still gave us permission.”</p><p>That actually sounded nice. Also, Harry knew Draco had mentioned that he wanted to go to Diagon Alley that week, so he might as well meet with him too.</p><p>“Can I borrow Hedwig for the day? I need to write a lot of people to explain why they weren’t invited to our birthday.”</p><p>Jimmy smiled, but it looked sad, “Sure Harry.”</p><p>Three days later, while Harry was still dealing with the outrage his Slytherin friends felt for his sake, his package from Nick finally arrived. Fortunately Lily was out at that hour and James was at work so Harry was free to unravel the flip knife he’d ordered.</p><p>‘I still think this is a terrible idea. You’re a Wizard for Merlin’s sake! You don’t need Muggle weaponry!’</p><p>‘Yeah, but Quirrel got into Hogwarts with no issues whatsoever, so who knows what I might find this year at school. Better go prepared.’</p><p>‘When they find that thing on you and you get in a world of trouble don’t come crying to me!’</p><p>‘Yeah, yeah.’</p><p>The next day Harry and Jimmy joined the Weasleys and Grangers on their trip to Diagon Alley. Harry met Draco halfway through the trip and chatted with him amiably till Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy started to wail on each other.</p><p>“Why aren’t they hexing each other?”, asked Harry.</p><p>“Harry. Please don’t”, pleaded a pained looking Hermione. Ron and Draco were looking on in interest, like they were watching an entertaining telly show.</p><p>‘Hopefully Lucius’ clone is smarter when he grows up.’</p><p>Judging by the way Draco was looking at the scene with interest Harry doubted it.</p><p>A week before their departure for Hogwarts Harry heard a shrill scream coming from Jimmy’s room and raced to rescue him with his knife.</p><p>“Get away from my brother fucker!”, Harry shouted as he jumped on the little creature, effectively pinning all its limbs and holding the knife to his throat.</p><p>“Harry no!”, Jimmy exclaimed.</p><p>“Step back Jimmy! It could spew acid at you, or mind control you into dancing till you die for all we know!”</p><p>‘That’s a house elf you dimwit!’</p><p>“Harry, it’s a house elf, they’re harmless!”</p><p>Harry eyed the cowering creature underneath him and gave a harsh sigh, “Then what is it doing scaring you like that?”</p><p>“Dobby is only trying to hel-“</p><p>“Holy shit it talks!”</p><p>“Dobby wishes no harm on Master James, Dobby only wants to help him!”, the pitiful creature explained.</p><p>Harry gave it a once over and stood up, letting the creature go free.</p><p>“Then why not go knock on the door and tell us like a normal person?”</p><p>“Dobby is here on secret, Dobby is being bad, Dobby should punish himself”, he said and started to bang his head against a wall.</p><p>“Stop that! You’re gonna hurt yourself!”, said Harry as he quickly grabbed Dobby by his shoulders.</p><p>“Master James’ brother is being so kind to Dobby!”, the elf wailed shrilly, “Dobby doesn’t deserve this kindness!”</p><p>“No, no, every living creature deserves kindness”, said Harry as he patted him on the head.</p><p>Dobby burst into tears.</p><p>“There, there”, Harry consoled him with light pats on his back.</p><p>“Um”, said Jimmy as he watched this.</p><p>“Right”, Harry straightened, “Why were you here again?”</p><p>Dobby chocked a little on his sobs as he dried his tears on the pillow case he was wearing, “Dobby is here to tell Master James he should not go to Hogwarts this year! There is a terrible danger coming there!”</p><p>‘What?’</p><p>‘Its clearly delusional, kill it.’</p><p>‘I’m not killing him!’</p><p>Voldemort sighed, ‘Fine, then kick it out! It’s hurting my ears and I don’t even have a body!’</p><p>Spot gave a whine as if to say his ears were also hurting.</p><p>‘Ugh, fine, I’ll send him away then.’</p><p>“Okay Dobby. Jimmy won’t go to Hogwarts. Don’t worry.”</p><p>Dobby perked up even as Jimmy gaped at him.</p><p>“Dobby is so happy! Thank you Master James’ Brother!”</p><p>“Its Harry”, Harry waved him off, “Now go back to your home before they realize you’ve gone out.”</p><p>Dobby cringed, “Dobby will go right away!”</p><p>And with a pop he was gone.</p><p>“But I want to go back to Hogwarts!”</p><p>“I wasn’t being serious”, said Harry with an eye roll as he flopped down on Jimmy’s bed.</p><p>“But why lie then?”</p><p>“Easier that way.”</p><p>‘Well, at least its quiet again.’</p><p>Spot gave a light huff and went back to whatever he did when there wasn’t some disturbance in Harry’s life.</p><p>“What exactly is a house elf though?”, Harry wondered out loud.</p><p>“Well-“, Jimmy started.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Harry stormed into the compartment on the Hogwarts Express where most of his friends were already gathered.</p><p>“Harry, how ar-“</p><p>“Did any of you know about the existence of house elves and their oppression by society?”, asked Harry urgently.</p><p>All his friends suddenly began to look at the ceiling or floor.</p><p>Harry exhaled harshly though his nose, “No matter. Your past mistakes can be rectified. There is still hope for all of you.”</p><p>Draco looked pained, “Look, don’t make this into a comparison of Norbert, house elves <em>like</em> how they live. They’d die if you took away their life style.”</p><p>Theo nodded, “I know of some house elves that have literally died when they got kicked out by their owners.”</p><p>Harry’s eyes almost bugged out, “What?! This is worse than what I thought!”</p><p>“Fucking Merlin, Theo”, grumbled Pansy.</p><p>A few hours later some of his Gryffindor friends came by to greet them.</p><p>Neville waved at everybody, “Hi guys, how were your va-“</p><p>“Did any of you know about the existence house elves and their oppression by society?”, Harry asked, looking up from his notebook where he was drawing up plans for the liberation of all house elves.</p><p>Once again all his friends looked away. Except Hermione.</p><p>“No. What are they?”, she asked.</p><p>Harry explained.</p><p>By the time they arrived at Hogwarts both she and Harry were huddled together as they planned how to best approach the poor house elves working at Hogwarts.</p><p>‘Why did there have to be two of them?!’, wailed Voldemort.</p><p>On their first day of classes Hermione and Harry had created the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare and took to protest in the corridors of the castle.</p><p>It worked out great, being in an organization run by two people instead of just one. It also helped that Hermione was a girl, preventing Harry from getting detention again for taking his activism to the girl’s bathroom.</p><p>It also helped that whenever Harry felt discouraged he only had to look to the newly branded Exceedingly Forbidden Forest where Norbert could be heard roaring several times a day. The sounds of his sweet baby being free were more than enough to motivate Harry into pestering every single person he came across into donating for their cause.</p><p>Several people paid him only so he would leave them alone, but Harry still counted it as a win.</p><p>Then, one day while he was standing at the school grounds reading one of his speeches for the liberation of elves a little girl with pale blond hair and pale eyes came to watch him till he finished his speech. This was a novel experience for Harry since people normally ran away from him as soon as they saw him start one of his speeches. Not even Draco stuck around and he was Harry’s self-proclaimed best friend.</p><p>“Hi”, she greeted when he got off his crate and walked to her, “That was a nice speech.”</p><p>“Thanks, would you be interested in donating to the cause? It comes with a badge!”</p><p>She nodded and by the time she had her new badge pinned she asked, “Are you planning on expanding your activism to the liberation of Heliopaths? They are often misused by their evil owners.”</p><p>“I’ve never heard of them”, said Harry.</p><p>‘You heard of them?’</p><p>‘Can’t say I have. Sounds made up.’</p><p>“Oh, let me tell you”, the little girl said as she gazed at him with her pale eyes.</p><p>Harry and the little girl – who turned out to be called Luna – hit off immediately. She told him about loads of creatures he’d never heard of in his whole life, many of which Voldemort insisted were fake, but Harry wasn’t listening. Harry had finally found his calling in life.</p><p>“I’m going to liberate all the magical creatures from their cruel imprisonment by Wizards”, Harry told Draco as he was being dragged to that year’s Quidditch try-outs. Harry didn’t even really want to attend, but he’d promised Draco to spend some time with him and Draco was also going to try for some position or other.</p><p>Jimmy was also going to the Quidditch try-outs. James had been gushing about it all summer and Seamus was also trying out some position or other so he ended up agreeing to try himself too.</p><p>The try-outs end up going well. In fact, they went so well that Harry discovered that he’d had a talent for Seeker all along. Who woulda’ thought?</p><p>Draco was ecstatic by this and the fact that he landed the Chaser spot.</p><p>Draco was still animatedly explaining the rules of Quidditch to Harry and Luna as they set up their stand where they would be giving their speech of the day when Dean and Ron came running towards them.</p><p>“Harry! Jimmy fell off his broom during try-outs and is in the infirmary!”, explained Dean quickly.</p><p>“Oh no! Why would he get on a broom?!”</p><p>“Its Quidditch Harry, how else was he going to participate at the try-outs?”, asked a perplexed Ron.</p><p>“Isn’t there a position where you don’t have to fly?”</p><p>They all stared at him.</p><p>“No Harry”, answered Luna.</p><p>“Why didn’t anybody tell me?”, wailed Harry and packed up the pamphlets he’d prepared for his day of protesting, “What kind of stupid game demands that everybody must fly?”</p><p>“Where were you during the games last year?”, asked an incredulous Ron.</p><p>“He never went”, said Draco and Ron looked at Harry in horror.</p><p>Jimmy fortunately only ended up having a broken ankle and sprained wrist, but he was still banned from ever trying out again for Quidditch by Harry.</p><p>“Why on earth would you participate in the try-outs if you can’t fly a broom Mr. Potter?”, asked an exasperated Professor McGonagall as she was standing at the infirmary.</p><p>Jimmy gave a shrug, not meeting her eyes.</p><p>After that Harry tried to resign the Slytherin team, but when James heard he’d made the team he was so overwhelmingly proud that he sent Harry a brand new broom, which made Harry hesitate and the next thing he knew he was at Professor Snape’s office being prohibited from resigning.</p><p>“We’re in dire need of a good Seeker”, he explained, “Besides, Minerva won’t stop bragging about the House Cup being in her office this year.”</p><p>Afterwards it seemed like nothing could go well for Harry.</p><p>Hermione and Luna were constantly at each other’s throats these days. Hermione kept accusing Luna of making creatures up and Luna kept accusing Hermione of not being as smart as she thought she was.</p><p>Draco also got upset with Harry when he discovered Harry’d tried to resign the team behind his back and wouldn’t talk to him for almost a whole week.</p><p>Voldemort was not approving of either of his activities so he also gave Harry the silent treatment.</p><p>The only one that had not abandoned Harry was Spot.</p><p>“I’ve come to a decision”, said Harry at the next reunion for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, “We should split up.”</p><p>Hermione and Luna blinked at him.</p><p>“But what about S.P.E.W.?”, asked Hermione.</p><p>“I’m going to leave it you Hermione”, said Harry, “You’re more than capable to run this Society. Luna and I will obviously always support it, but I think it’s time we left and follow our own venture.”</p><p>Hermione looked unsure, but nodded, “Okay, I can see that this might be for the best.”</p><p>“I’m glad you see it. You’re also welcome to join us at our Foundation for Truth, where we’ll be looking into the whereabouts of the famed Crumple-Horned Snorkack. We’re also be looking into other conspiracies the Ministry is trying to hide, but since we’re just beginning we’ll look into something easier.”</p><p>Hermione nodded, “Um, okay.”</p><p>“Great”, said Harry, got up from his seat and shouldered his bag, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to Professor Snape now.”</p><p>“But Harry you can’t possibly still be under detention for cheating last year”, said Hermione incredulously.</p><p>“No I’m not, these are classes to overcome my fear of brooms and flying.”</p><p>Hermione squinted at him, “But you’re on the Quidditch team.”</p><p>“Exactly, that’s why I really need them. See ya!”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Draco looked at Harry where he was chatting with the Lovegood girl. Draco considered her to be a terrible influence on Harry and if he had his way he’d keep Harry away from her for the rest of eternity. Also, he was tired of listening about the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks that they were supposedly going to find and all the conspiracies they were going to bring to light.</p><p>It frankly exhausted him to just listen to them.</p><p>“Come <em>on</em>, its Halloween, can’t you leave all your planning for one day?”, asked Draco desperately.</p><p>“Planning expeditions when you can’t leave the school isn’t easy Draco”, said Harry, but did look up from what he was doing to look at Draco, “But if you insist I suppose we can leave for the Great Hall a little early.”</p><p>“I insist”, snapped Draco.</p><p>“Fine, fine”, said Harry and organized his things, “We can continue with this tomorrow Luna.”</p><p>“No problem”, said the girl in her usual dreamy tone. Draco always wondered if she was under some sort of potion.</p><p>“See ya”, Harry waved at her and followed Draco to the Great Hall.</p><p>“You really need to manage your time better”, said Draco, “You’ve missed two of the team practices to go out with her and plan your stupid expeditions.”</p><p>“They’re not stupid”, said Harry with a frown.</p><p>“I don’t see you presenting me any evidence for why this whole Crumpled Stacks thing needs to be found. When we were protesting for Norbert you made up speeches about nature and all kinds of things and before, when we were all cramped in that hut with that murderous beast you talked all of us into it by telling us what Dumbledore was going to do with it. What about now though? Why are you so desperate to find that thing?”</p><p>“First of all, it’s a Crumple-Horned Snorkack”, said Harry and Draco had to roll his eyes, “Second, you wouldn’t understand.”</p><p>“Sounds like a bad excuse to me”, groused Draco, “What does Severus have to say about this?”</p><p>The fact that Harry looked down to his feet said enough to Draco.</p><p>“See, that should be answer enough to you.”</p><p>Harry stubbornly didn’t answer and instead started to pout, “Its not like Professor Snape paints it, we are starting a genuine foundation here. We’ve even consulted with Professor Lockhart and he’s promised complete backing at the first sign we get of reliable evidence. If it was all just made up stuff he wouldn’t be so interested in this. He even asked us to come have tea at his office so we can tell him about more conspiracies.”</p><p>“That idiot is a phony and you know it”, huffed Draco.</p><p>“I’ll admit he might not be that great of a teacher, but he certainly has had more than enough experiences in his life to make him more than qualified for the job. We’re lucky to have him as a teacher actually.”</p><p>Draco was thisclose to actually hurting himself from eye rolling too much.</p><p>During the feast he fortunately got Harry to stop talking about all his crazy new friends and instead talk about their upcoming Quidditch game.</p><p>The evening was turning out to be almost pleasant, but then they ran into a petrified cat at the exit of the Great Hall.</p><p>Harry didn’t say anything during the whole ensuing drama, he didn’t even participate in the whispered celebrations that the damn beast was finally dead. He just stared at nothing while his left eye twitched occacionally. By the time they went to sleep he was grinning slightly in a manner that made Draco feel uneasy for some reason.</p><p>The next morning when he woke up Harry was gone and nobody had any idea where he was. Draco was officially worried when Harry didn’t appear at their first class. Not even when he was obsessed with Norbert did he disappear like this without telling somebody first.</p><p>“You seen Harry at all since the horrorfest of last night?”, Draco asked Jimmy and Dean, who were sharing a desk in their Transfiguration class.</p><p>“Nope, Hermione?”, Dean turned and addressed Hermione who was seated behind them with Seamus.</p><p>“Not at all. Don’t tell me he’s skipping again! I told him he needed to stop!”, Hermione looked worked up enough that she might lecture Harry next time she saw him. Good, served him right for leaving Draco hanging in the wind.</p><p>“Ugh, now I need to track down Lovegood”, Draco moaned and plodded over to his shared desk with Theo. Merlin he hated to share with Theo, he always used up all the arm space. Harry might be a git, but he never used up all the arm space.</p><p>Before their next classes started Draco quickly ran to where he knew Lovegood was going to have her next class. The fact that he knew Lovegood’s class schedule by memory was also Harry’s fault. Merlin he really wanted to sock him in the face.</p><p>“You seen Harry at after last night”, said Draco by way of greeting her.</p><p>She blinked at him, “No, I last saw him when you dragged him to the Halloween Feast.”</p><p>Draco groaned, “He didn’t say anything about going somewhere to you?”</p><p>She shook her head, “Is he missing?”</p><p>“Fucking git seems to be”, grumbled Draco.</p><p>He’d tried to avoid this, but Harry was leaving him no other alternatives. Draco was going to tell him on Severus.</p><p>Draco knocked on the class door and waited to be let in.</p><p>The door opened a few seconds later. Severus didn’t seem happy to see him there and since Draco was acutely aware of the fact that he was the bearer of bad news he blurted out as quickly as he could why he was there.</p><p>“Potter’s disappeared, Sir.”</p><p>“What?”, Severus hissed and Draco was already preparing himself to run away if the need arose.</p><p>“I saw him last when we went to sleep last night, but he was acting strange. He wasn’t talking at all and seemed to be lost in thought about something and then this morning his bed was already made when I woke up and nobody had seen him leave. None of his Gryffindor friends know where he is, not even Jimmy. Lovegood doesn’t know either”, Draco bit his lip, “He’s never done this, Sir, he always says if he’s going to do something that’ll make him skip class.”</p><p>Severus took a deep breath that made his nostrils flare as he visibly tried to keep his fury under control, “I’ll look into post-haste Mr. Malfoy, thank you for bringing it to my attention.”</p><p>Draco nodded and quickly left. Hopefully Harry would be able to forgive him for this.</p><p>By lunch time Harry was still gone and Draco was so sick of sharing his desk with Theo that he didn’t care anymore if Harry had been a git lately.</p><p>That afternoon Severus appeared in Draco’s class, dragging Harry with him. He still looked furious, but no longer like he was about to murder Harry upon laying his eyes on him.</p><p>“Where in Merlin’s name were you?”, hissed Draco when Harry took back his place at Draco’s side. Theo had given Draco the stink eye when he’d kicked him off his stool, but Draco was sure he’d get over it.</p><p>“Nothing-I mean”, Harry straightened out his parchment in front of him, “Nowhere. And I did nothing.”</p><p>Somehow, this made Draco quite uneasy.</p><p>“Harry, you’re not making me feel at ease at all”, Draco confessed.</p><p>“Relax Draco, everything is fine”, perhaps Draco would have believed him if Harry looked like he believed himself even a little bit.</p><p>Over the next few days the more people asked him what he’d done and Harry answered with ‘nothing’ the more anxious they all got. Everybody that knew Harry also knew that he wasn’t the type of person to go missing a few hours to do ‘nothing’.</p><p>The other shoe finally dropped about a week after Harry had disappeared in the form of a school wide lockdown.</p><p>“It is my sad duty to inform you all that a vast majority of the Merfolk living in our lake have been killed by a Basilisk that has moved in the very same lake. We can only hope that the surviving Merpeople can somehow recover from this terrible tragedy. I would like for us all to hold a minute of silence in respect for all the lives that have been lost”, announced Dumbledore that day at breakfast, looking solemn and sad.</p><p>Draco, like several other people in the Hall turned to look at Harry in horror. The worst part of all was that Harry was as white as chalk.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this chapter doesn't start off too cheery, in fact, I'd say this is perhaps my most serious chapter in the series, but I feel it does end up back at its roots near the end.<br/>I feel like this is the weakest year in the series so I'm rushing through it. I'll be posting the next part of this series in about two days or so.<br/>Thanks a lot for all of you people that have been leaving comments :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“OF ALL THE IDIOTIC, FOOLISH, SELF-CENTERED, PREPOSTEROUS THINGS YOU COULD HAVE DONE!”, Severus Snape was ready to strangle the stupid child cowering in front of him.</p><p>When he’s first told Severus he’d done nothing after finally strolling into his dorm room after disappearing for hours Severus had known that there was more behind the story. But this?</p><p>When Albus made the announcement that morning that the castle was to be put into lockdown until somebody from the Ministry could come look at their newest problem Severus hadn’t quite understood yet the ramifications of what had happened. Only at breakfast had Albus told the whole story. Of the consequences of an imbecilic child playing around with power he neither understood nor deserved.</p><p>“YOU THINK BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER SOME PEOPLE ONLY DREAM ABOUT THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHERE TO PUT DANGEROUS CREATURES?!”</p><p>The first red flag had been his obsession with the dragon, really, Severus should have seen it. It was more than obvious that Potter had some hand in the dragon appearing in the Forest, but Severus had never been able to make him confess the whole story, only that he knew how to control it.</p><p>That had to have been the second red flag. And instead of doing something, of demanding the truth of the matter he’d simply gawked like an idiot and put into the box of ‘things Potter just can do’ and called it a day.</p><p>“YOU ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAWS OF NATURE! YOU ARE NOT ABOVE THE LIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE!”</p><p>Potter wasn’t even looking at him. But neither was he contesting what Severus was saying so at least there was that.</p><p>“TELL ME POTTER, IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK?! THAT YOU’RE ABOVE ALL OF US?! ABOVE THE REST OF ALL WIZARDKIND?!”</p><p>Damn Severus if any student of his was going to become the next Dark Lord.</p><p>He put in uncountable hours of work into ensuring that Potter would not mess his life up, that he would a normal life, friends and maybe even someday a family. Severus himself had insisted to Potter that he give into Draco’s constant pestering. That he needed a social life with his peers. And that no, Severus himself didn’t count as enough of a friend.</p><p>He even felt flattered when Potter had said that, but still. Nobody knew like Severus how dangerous it was to grow up with no friends. It led to falling in with the wrong crowd in later years, which led to making mistakes. Horrible mistakes that would haunt you the rest of your life.</p><p>Seems like he was too late for that last one.</p><p>“ANSWER ME POTTER!”</p><p>“No, Sir, I don’t think that”, said Potter in a small quavering voice.</p><p>Severus instantly felt his shoulders deflate under that quavering tone. He exhaled harshly and collapsed on his chair.</p><p>“Potter, what were you thinking?”, he asked, this time just sounding exhausted.</p><p>“I-“, Potter looked dangerously close to sobbing, “I don’t know, Sir.”</p><p>Severus had half a mind to start ranting at him again, but the sight of the first tears falling made him stop.</p><p>It comforted him that the boy was at least feeling sorry about what he did. It gave him some hope for him yet.</p><p>“Come”, said Severus and stood up with a sigh. He opened the door that led to his private quarters and went directly for his kitchen without checking if Potter was following him.</p><p>Severus made two cups of Earl Grey and when he turned around he found Potter already sitting at his customary spot at the kitchen table. Potter had been there enough times during all of his lessons that he already had a fixed place at his table.</p><p>“Here”, he sat the tea in front of Potter and got out a handkerchief for him as well.</p><p>“Thanks Sir”, sniffed the boy pitifully.</p><p>Severus waited till he had calmed down considerably before he asked his next question, “Potter, how on earth did you get your hands on a Basilisk?”</p><p>Potter stared steadfastly at his cup of tea.</p><p>“Potter”, he said in a warning tone.</p><p>Still, Potter wouldn’t answer. The nerve of this brat.</p><p>“Finish your tea and get out”, Severus said, fearing he might blow up again at the boy.</p><p>Potter was out in less than a minute, leaving behind a very exacerbated Severus. His next lesson better focus on the consequences of one’s actions or something in that line, this was not going to be a repeated experience if Severus had a say in the subject.</p><p>For the next week various experts of all kinds came to have a look at the lake and all declared that it would be virtually impossible to get the Basilisk out of there so instead some plans for a wall around the lake were drafted and supervised trips to the school grounds were allowed.</p><p>Potter was still taking the whole ordeal hard and kept moping around the castle and didn’t seem to be any happier in Severus’ classes, where he usually at least enjoyed himself playing with his overpowered magical abilities.</p><p>Then one day he was approached by Draco after a Potions class.</p><p>“Um, Sir, there’s something you need to know”, said his godson, looking more than a little nervous.</p><p>Severus closed his eyes in resignation, “What has he done now?”</p><p>“Nothing yet, but, um, he’s been saying he’s going to take a dive into the lake. I told him not to and surprisingly even Lovegood told him not to, but-“</p><p>He needed a drink. A very strong drink.</p><p>“Thank you for bringing this to my attention Draco, I’ll talk with him about it tomorrow during our lessons.”</p><p>Draco looked a little relieved, “Thank you, Sir.”</p><p>Severus was still trying to figure out the next morning if this new idea of Potter’s was some sort of suicidal ideation, or if he simply thought himself stronger than a Basilisk. Was he stronger than a Basilisk? Severus was stumped by that last question, but he also wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer.</p><p>“Professor Snape!”, Draco shouted as he raced into the Great Hall, several of the other second year Slytherins at his tail.</p><p>Merlin, <em>no</em>.</p><p>“Since when is he gone?”, asked Severus as he sprang up from his chair and ran to meet Draco.</p><p>“He was gone when I woke up this morning! I just know he’s gone and done it, Sir!”, wailed Draco in distress.</p><p>“Severus, what is it?”, demanded Minerva.</p><p>“Potter has gone to dive in the lake!”, shouted Severus and ran for Albus’ office. He was their only hope now.</p><p>“Merlin!”, gasped Minerva.</p><p>Within the hour the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures officials were on the school grounds and gazing into the lake while shaking their heads.</p><p>Lily and James Potter arrived roughly the same time the Aurors did. Alastor ‘Mad Eye’ Moody was in charge of the whole operation and had terrorized one of his underlings enough within half an hour to prefer going into a lake with a Basilisk rather than staying by Moody’s side. Severus had to admire the man that was able to provoke more fear than a man-eating monster.</p><p>The trembling Auror was just about to wade into the lake when Potter was sighted swimming towards them in the distance.</p><p>Severus almost collapsed from relief. Instead he went to help scoop the drenched child out of the lake.</p><p>“I’m sorry for worrying you all”, Potter began, “But when I heard the terrible news about the Merfolk I just knew I had to talk to them about their rights! But I couldn’t find anybody at their village!”</p><p>It was such a terrible lie that Severus was just waiting for somebody to call him out on it when Albus began chortling.</p><p>“Don’t worry my dear Harry, your intentions were born from the right place. Here, let me write down to you their new address so you can write them.”</p><p>Merlin help him, he was surrounded by idiots!</p><p>Potter happily took the slip of paper handed to him and now Severus had the dreadful certainty that he would include the Merfolk in his activist agenda.</p><p>Lily and James gushed over him for a little while and the Aurors all celebrated that they wouldn’t have to go looking for Potter’s corpse or fight a Basilisk for him.</p><p>All in all Severus had to admit that it could have gone a lot worse.</p><p>By that evening everybody had left and even if most students were still perstering Potter and his gaggle of friends about how Potter survived diving into a Basilisk infested lake things were finally calmed down enough that Severus could take Potter to his office to question him.</p><p>“Potter, while I understand your unreasonable need to keep certain secrets for yourself I must insist that tell me <em>what in Merlin, Morgana and Salazar’s name were you thinking</em>?!”</p><p>Severus was doing a herculean effort to not blow up again at the boy. He’d learned from his errors and would not go down that path again, even if there was nothing more he wished to do at the moment.</p><p>Potter looked down at his lap and fidgeted with his robes.</p><p>Patience already running thin Severus leaned over the boy like a vengeful spirit and let out a barely contained growl.</p><p>Potter looked up at Severus and he saw apprehension in those green eyes.</p><p>“Please don’t get mad – well, even madder”, pleaded the boy pitifully.</p><p>Sighing, Severus went and sat at his desk, “Fine”, he snapped, “But only if you get to it quick.”</p><p>“I’m a Parselmouth”, Potter blurted out.</p><p>Severus closed his eyes tightly. Of course he’s a Parselmouth. Why wouldn’t he be?</p><p>“Of course you are”, he mumbled.</p><p>“When we saw that writing on the wall, you know, the one about the Chamber of Secrets, we-I mean, I knew immediately what it was about and that the whole thing smelled fishy. See, only a Parselmouth can find the Chamber of Secret and only a Parselmouth can open it.”</p><p>Severus looked up from where his palms had been digging into his eyes and looked at Potter sharply, “You found it?”</p><p>“Um, some time ago”, Potter was once again looking at his lap, “I never really looked into it you know, cause-well, um, cause it, uh, its grimy”, Potter looked back at Severus, “Its unbelievably grimy and slimy and I mean, if you consider where the entrance is, well, I don’t think even Salazar Slytherin himself would have wanted to go back in there. I certainly didn’t want to.”</p><p>“Where is the entrance?”, asked Severus, still feeling unbelieving that he was about to learn of the whereabouts of a mythical Chamber within Hogwarts.</p><p>Potter looked at his lap again, “Please don’t get mad.”</p><p>Merlin. Was the entrance on the roof? Underneath the lake?</p><p>“Potter, just spit it out”, he couldn’t handle the uncertainty of where this child had gone gallivanting.</p><p>“In the girl’s bathroom at the second floor”, mumbled Potter.</p><p>Severus blinked.</p><p>He knew, of course, like most people in Hogwarts that Potter had gone to all the bathrooms in the castle to pester people when he was protesting about the dragon. He’d even given him detention for it and had a long talk about privacy which he had felt Potter had somewhat taken to heart, if only enough to not end in detention with him again. So taking into count all the terrible places he could have been frolicking about this was one of the least terrible place.</p><p>“Oh”, said Severus and almost relaxed into his chair, but then he remembered that he was there to educate Potter, “Ten points from Slytherin. Do it again and I’ll have you scrubbing cauldrons for the rest of the week.”</p><p>Potter nodded furiously, “Yes, Sir!”</p><p>Severus gave a self-satisfied nod, “Now, continue.”</p><p>“Okay, so, um, I immediately knew something was wrong with the whole thing. As soon as Draco and the others were asleep I snuck out and went to check what was up. Once I got down there I discovered Spike – that’s Basilisk Sir, he didn’t have a name so I gave him one.”</p><p>“Of course you did.”</p><p>“Spike was really hungry and cranky so I guided him to the lake, but I swear Sir I didn’t know about the Merpeople, I swear!”</p><p>“I believe you Potter, you may continue”, said Severus as he massaged his temples.</p><p>“After I was sure he’d be okay in his new home I went back to the Chamber, but Spike had told me that there was some person coming in at odd hours to tell him stuff and to let him out into the castle-“</p><p>“<em>What</em>?!”</p><p>“Yeah, real messed up. I told Spike not to come again into the castle and he agreed, mostly I suspect cause he never got to eat anybody.”</p><p>“Merlin.”</p><p>“So knowing that I hid away in the Chamber and waited for the real culprit to come in-“</p><p>“POTTER! Are you insane?”, shouted Severus, “You should have come for me right away!”</p><p>“I’m sorry Professor! But it all turned out okay!”</p><p>“Who was it?”, demanded Severus and when Potter looked like he was debating what to tell him he demanded again, “Who was it Potter!?”</p><p>“They were being controlled! Please Professor! She didn’t even know what was being done to her until I broke the connection!”</p><p>“Broke the-“, Severus shook his head, this sounded beyond bad, “If what you say is true then I won’t go after her at all, but you must tell me the truth Potter!”</p><p>“It was Ginny Weasley, Sir”, Potter mumbled, “But please! Believe me when I say she’s innocent! She had a cursed diary in her pockets. She said it had been writing back to her since the beginning of the year and that she was scared. I told her not to tell anybody and took the diary off her.”</p><p>“Where is the diary now Potter?”</p><p>“Threw it into the lake, Sir.”</p><p>Severus groaned, “Potter you should definitely have come straight to me. Or told me the moment I caught you in your dorm room.”</p><p>“I’m sorry Sir”, Potter looked at least a little chastised so Severus was going to count this as a win on his part.</p><p>“Good”, he nodded, “Now tell me why exactly did you go into the lake today?”</p><p>“Um, to talk with Spike, Sir”, Potter mumbled nervously, “See, after he killed all those Merpeople I knew I needed to stop something like from happening again so I went to talk to him about that. He was way more agreeable than last time and he also gets preserving the life in the lake since he plans to live there forever now. I told him to not harm the Giant Squid and he agreed.”</p><p>Severus was silent as he processed this, “Fine”, he said at last and stood up, “Now you’ll show me where the Chamber of Secrets is and swear to never go back in without telling somebody beforehand.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Harry was in the middle of having teatime with Professor Lockhart and Luna when the Professor breached the subject.</p><p>“Harry, dear, you really ought to tell us how you managed to get out of that lake without getting killed by the Basilisk. I mean, I understand that we all must have our secrets, but I ask this as your fellow Wizard and future fellow colleague. You know I travel the globe and rescue the unfortunate from terrible situations, so I’m asking for them my dear Harry. How do you keep a rampaging Basilisk at bay?”</p><p>He gave Harry the brightest smile Harry had ever seen.</p><p>‘His teeth are so white’, said Voldemort in a daze.</p><p>“I’m, uh, I guess I can tell you. But it’s a secret.”</p><p>Both Luna and Professor Lockhart nodded solemnly.</p><p>“I’m a Parselmouth”, confessed Harry and they both gasped.</p><p>“But how?”, asked Professor Lockhart, leaning forward.</p><p>Harry shrugged, “I just am.”</p><p>Professor Lockhart looked pensive for a second, “So, say I conjured a snake, right now and right here, could you talk to it as a demonstration?”</p><p>‘Where’s he going with this?’</p><p>“Sure”, said Harry.</p><p>Professor Lockhart conjured some type of rattlesnake and soon Harry was talking to her.</p><p>She was a very nice chat and accepted one of the pieces of raw meat that Luna always carried with her for the Thestrals.</p><p>“Magnificent”, said Professor Lockhart,</p><p>“And it’s not like you’re using some magical vocal chords either”, mused Luna, “It sounds very human, but yet not.”</p><p>Harry was suddenly struck by an idea.</p><p>“Hey, what if I tried to teach you?”, he said out loud.</p><p>‘That can’t be done, you need to be a Parselmouth like us to understand it.’</p><p>Professor Lockhart and Luna looked more than intrigued by the idea however.</p><p>They started with a few simple words that Harry taught them to see if the effect could be replicated and if the rattlesnake would understand them and by the end of the hour they knew how to give simple commands like ‘come’, ‘go’ and ‘stay’.</p><p>They both obviously wanted to continue afterwards, so Harry put a price on his classes.</p><p>He wasn’t a Slytherin for no reason.</p><p>By Christmas time Harry had gathered enough savings that he started to make plans with Voldemort on how to invest them in small businesses.</p><p>‘Unfortunately we don’t have much money to properly invest in anybody yet’, mused Voldemort as they rode the Express for the Christmas vacations.</p><p>Draco was still prattling on about their recent game against Gryffindor that they’d won, just like he’d been doing for the last couple weeks, so Harry tuned him out.</p><p>‘What we need are more students then, but that would draw too much attention’, thought Harry.</p><p>The only sound in the compartment for a while was Pansy telling Draco to shut the hell up.</p><p>‘We could write a book’, said Voldemort and Harry’s eyes widened.</p><p>‘Vol, you’re a genius!’</p><p>‘Of course I am.’</p><p>That Christmas break, while James fussed over everybody, Lily drank martinis and Jimmy played with Milly, Harry started to write down the first drafts of his book.</p><p>The next week he presented the idea to Professor Lockhart who immediately promised to sponsor it.</p><p>“While that is great Professor, I have an idea that you might find even more beneficial”, said Harry and smiled, trying to show all his teeth the way Lockhart did.</p><p>Lockhart immediately accepted Harry’s proposition.</p><p>When Harry told Professor Snape his plan all he said was, “I am caught between feeling proud and angry”, he then poured some Firewhiskey into his tea and gulped the whole cup down faster than Harry had ever seen him.</p><p>At the end of Harry's second year at Hogwarts Professor Lockhart stood up at the year-end feast.</p><p>“I would like to make an announcement!”, he said and beamed as everybody turned to look at him, “First of all I’d like to address the rumours that I won’t be coming back next year and I must admit that they’re true.”</p><p>Several of the girls in the Great Hall gasped and looked ready to start crying.</p><p>“The reason for this is I have written a new book!”, here he took out the book Harry and Voldemort had written, “Practicing Parseltongue is a book that I have wished for many years to write, but never had the fortitude to do so! But becoming a teacher in this wonderful institution has filled me with the courage to say yes, I am a born Parselmouth! Long years have I maintained this as a secret, but you, yes! All of you my beautiful students and co-workers have given me the courage to reveal myself for what I truly am! To make this reveal public I have decided to publish this guide to learning Parseltongue, so that all my fellow Witches and Wizards can learn this wonderful language and, perhaps, with time the terrible stigma that this language has can be cleared!”</p><p>Several students started to clap, including Harry and after he gave him a kick Draco joined in as well and stopped gaping. Most people were still gaping, including all the teachers. Professor Snape was nursing a cup of tea that Harry suspected may have more in it than just tea.</p><p>“I must say I am as surprise by this news as the rest of us!”, said Dumbledore as he also stood up, “And I applaud you, for this decision had to have taken great amounts of courage! And so, for your pure act of pure courage I-“</p><p>“Albus no”, stared Professor McGonagall.</p><p>“-I give Gryffindor ten points!”</p><p>“ALBUS!”</p><p>Gryffindor, who had coincidentally only needed nine points to win, started cheering madly.</p><p>Professor Snape was giving Dumbledore a look filled with pure hatred.</p><p>“But I was from Ravenclaw”, said Professor Lockhart, looking more than a little confused.</p><p>“Oh? Sixty points to Ravenclaw!”</p><p>Ravenclaw clapped loudly, since this put them in second place, right after Slytherin.</p><p>“NOOOOO!!!!”, Draco wailed and buried his head in his arms as he dissolved into sobs.</p><p>Harry patted Draco’s back as he sobbed, “There, there Draco, there’s always next year.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave a comment before you leave, they give me life.<br/>Also, I'm writing as fast as I can, which leaves me with little to no time to edit and reread this, so if you spot any errors please tell me.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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